The Ignorance of Blood

Set in contemporary Seville, in the aftermath of an appalling terrorist attack, Wilson's 10th book is a long and complex affair, with a well-engineered plot and dense, chewy prose. Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón has promised to find the perpetrators of the outrage. His investigation has ground to a halt when the death of a Russian gangster in a car crash offers a new lead, but, at the same time, pitches him into the middle of a vicious turf war over drugs and prostitution. Falcón's private life isn't exactly peaceful, either - his best friend, a spy, is being blackmailed by Islamic extremists who are every bit as ruthless as the Russian mafia, and his lover's young son is kidnapped in order to make the inspector toe the line. All these strands are skilfully woven together, although the constant bouncing around between different points of view can get a bit confusing.